The KACHEP office recently lost part of its roof in
Karamoja’s high winds.
The story and foundation go back several years, 2009– I was back
visiting Uganda while doing a post-doc at Ghent University, Belgium. The trip
was funded by the Pan-African Organic Conference where I presented a paper; I
took advantage of the moment to visit the KACHEP team. As I was awaiting disc
replacement surgery on my bike-accidented neck back in Belgium I was unable to
travel up the rough roads to Karamoja. I put a plea out to the Jinja missionary
community that Tom and I had been a part of since our marriage in 2004 up to
when (08) we had to leave Uganda: no work permit (because the Baptists dumped
us), no team mates to join in Kaabong (Reeds, Jr elected to leave ministry) and
our giving had plummeted.
Kingfisher stepped forward and invited KACHEP and me to meet
there, cost-free as long as we bought meals. It was wonderful and beautiful to
be back in Uganda, on the banks of Lake Victoria just where the Nile begins and
the site of our Christian garden wedding where half of each our families
gathered, as well as my friends from Karamoja and Tom’s from Jinja.
One Sunday, I attended prayers at Calvary Chapel Jinja and
God opened the doors wide open for us to return to Uganda. There I re-met their
worship leader, Ryan McCabe who had recently visited Karamoja and fell in love
with the place and people – he asked if he could join our team. With him, we
would have a team and be able to start CPM in Karamoja, with our eyes and
hearts on Kaabong. Moments later, Pastor Jesse and Bev Rich told me that their
approach to missions had recently been expanded to CPM and they were interested
to expand into Karamoja (Noah, one of KACHEP’s early evangelist just finished
their bible school). When we had
approached them and others following the surprise of the Baptist’s ‘policy
change’, no organization was willing to partner with us as CVM missionaries in
Karamoja. Now another door opened, we could get a work permit thru Calvary
Chapel and legally return to Uganda! All we needed was to have prayer and
financial partnerss –with a clear plan, that made sharing our vision easy.
Which we did, at our church, Vineyard Ganda in Belgium and then through out 20
states in America where we reconnected with long term friends, family, schools
and churches.
Our plan was for KKAB (Karamoja, Kaabong and Beyond) to
start in southern Karamoja under KACHEP where we would learn language, test out
community development and evangelism techniques and learn how to build –a year
of ‘ropes course’ with to grow as a team
with Tom at the helm. After a year, or so, we had hoped to be done with phase
one and then move up to more remote Kaboong.
KACHEP has deep relationships throughout Pian, Bokora and
Matheniko tribal areas of Karamoja –a notoriously distrusting and violent area
of East Africa, home of the last nomadic peoples in Uganda, largely unreached
area composed of 11 different tribes.
The center of their life is their cattle, they believe that God gave
them all the cattle in the world and they will do anything to get more. Having
amassed AK-47s from Idi Amin’s retreating army in 1979, made these common
forays increasingly bloody. As one of the founding KACHEP board member, they
welcomed with open arms and helped us (especially Tom and Ryan who, although
both had lived long in East Africa, had always been in cities on Mazungu
compounds). Our American approaches are very different than those of Karamoja,
where the elder system is quite strong and is juxtaposed with a government that
is based more closely to the pomp and circumstance of yesteryear Britain.
All KACHEP board members are not only Christians, but well
connected, Karamojong leaders, ranging from district officials, community
members, 2 pastors, and a lawyer. KACHEP’s manager has bachelors and masters
degrees and is from the Jinja area –where most people both disdain and fear the
Karamojong. Making much less than he could elsewhere – and where lives are
taken everyday, Mukisa is the rare Ugandan missionary to Karamoja. He helped us
sift thru the delicate balance of one our key concerns -‘when helping hurts’, and how to interact
appropriately with the marginalized people struggling in the communities; the
politics of the two existing churches and the out –of-touch government
officials in the towns, all while striving to honor God, His creation and the
common person. It wasn’t easy, and we tried to make less mistakes than others,
and at least not the mistakes that we ourselves had done, or that we had seen
or read other missionaries do over the years before.
My previous 10 years in Karamoja, living among the Pian, Bokora,
Matheniko and Tepes, helped me transition rather easily back into what I
consider home, but that was a bit more difficult for expatriates new to the
area, culture and harsh surroundings. Being linked to KACHEP helped the neighboring
community have an idea who we were and what we wanted to do –or at least it
gave district officials, army, pastoralists, business people, pastoralists,
shepherds, women, elders, rebels a ‘box’ to put us in –we were connected to
KACHEP. The group that helps them when famine hits, when fires take their
homes, when floods ruin their crops; the group that treats their animals and
prevents debilitating disease, gives clothes, that helps their children go to
school, teaches them how to approach government officials when insecurity and
fear escalates. KACHEP, the local organization that first brought in solar to
the area, that gathers healers and farmers to share their best practices so
that all can have healthier livestock and families, the group that has planted
thousands of trees and taught them about Creator God, the group that has given
them a voice and honored their culture.
We planned to have a give and take relationship, of course
with cultural differences there were struggles, but we felt, at least since we
were practicing in the south with a group that we had mutual trust and respect
with, we relied upon them to point out our mistakes –almost unheard of in cross
cultural work. Language and building
were our 2 big activities, with this focus, we were blessed to be near the
Wrights of OPC –Martha with a PhD in linguistics and Bob with vast knowledge of
building and mechanics, as well as a muzungu fellowship portal – with the
largest number of white people in one place in all of Karamoja –about 5
families, including a doctor.
Our plan was to learn how to build from Bob, while making it
an exercise in team building, secondarily, it gave the locals a chance to see
that white people can work, and
sweat. We built all by hand and it took a long, long time. It tested our
emotions, our team and our bodies. Others came to join in the labor, Miriam
arrived, also from Jinja, for short term and soon joined KKAB fulltime. At the
same time other Pioneers prospects arrived, to test themselves and the team to
see if they might leave their homes and join us in Karamoja; this included
Michelle, Esther Lu and Summer. During this time, Ryan left, but shortly after,
Summer decided to join KKAB. Shortly after she arrived, Simon & Carina
(vet) came for a short-term vision trip. This happened while I was in the midst
of serious health issues, our marriage was on the rocks and Miriam was forced
to transition off KKAB team, all while another short termer Melissa
(vet-student) came for 8 months. Even through the chaos of Tom and I leaving
for a month of medical and marriage treatment, the Simon & Carina decided
to leave Germany and join KKAB full time. I praise Him for His provision, how
the Holy Spirit works (even when “I’m” not there, even when Tom is not guiding)
–God is and was in control –even when it doesn’t turn out like we’d like it. I
digress –but, it has been so long since I’ve written, and now, as I break the
silence –there is so much to share….
Back to the roof and the stone house –the first stones were
laid by the initial KKAB team –Tom, Ryan and myself, Bob’s right hand man,
Thomas guided us. Miraiam joined us as she was seeking change from Jinja and
was there to its completion. Others laid stone during their visits –Michelle,
Esther Lu and Summer, Summer returned in time to turn the stone houses and
compound over to KACHEP, honoring the original plan an intentions of the team she
joined, but seemingly had abandoned her to continue with KKAB’s long term
vision. The stone structures had become home to her, and a symbol to all that
KACHEP is strong, not even bullets can pierce the thick stone walls. Most
community structures use mud, others may use local hand made bricks, but with
KACHEP’s stone construction, but the wind could and did whip so hard to pull
the grass back. Even fire and rain could disturb its construction. But we
wanted to blend old and new, to use local materials and not use square mazungu
construction or rectangular tin roofs. We wanted to honor our Maker and honor
the culture. Various supporters visited and placed some stones, Paul and Ron
(Paul later came to help me depart Karamoja last year –and he birthed Uttermost
Ministries that has taken over CVM’s role to KACHEP). Dirk came from our church
in Belgium to help Tom put up the gate. Bob joined us to dig a borehole for
KACHEP a few meters from the first stones buildings –up til then we would walk
a mile to carry jerry cans of water back to the compound for cooking and
showering, waiting in lines with our neighbors –again giving local people an
idea who we were –white people who work, walk and sweat, not like the NGO’s
they see in their fancy Landcruisers with the windows rolled up wearing bullet
proof vests, a flag flapping off the antenna. We were with KACHEP, we were
different –somehow more like them and less like the UN.
Pray for KACHEP, that the Lord would continue to surround
them, that He would equip them to continue with their vision.
Pray for Summer, Simon and Carina (known at PIKT) as they continue partnering with KACHEP
Pray for Summer, Simon and Carina (known at PIKT) as they continue partnering with KACHEP
Pray for the board as they meet in a few hours in Moroto,
Saturday 12 June.
Pray that my healing would continue, one step at a time…
Finally pray for provision for KACHEP to secure their roof,
they will rebuild it with new grass this fall –if you are urged to donate, go to
www.KACHEP.org or contact Uttermost
Ministry if you’d like to join in the labor
Serving the God that controls the wind and the sea, He is
our strong foundation!
Nakaala Jean
Nakaala Jean
She
brought a cow skin and laid it on the ground, sweeping away the goat
feces with a smile. We sat with the dignity of royalty amongst the
clatter of goats, chicken, women and children. Once we had settled in
Ana announced that she had a great treat for us. She had walked over an
hour to town to buy a special food for her guests: macaroni! But the
problem was she didn't know how to prepare it, so with an embarrassed
smile she asked us if we could help her. We gladly pitched in and by the
time the sun had set we had prepared a macaroni feast. We ate beneath
the vast stars of Karamoja. Then, as the full moon rose and lit up the
dark sky, other villagers began to gather around.
